


Let's find out if love is the size of the ocean

by PlatinumSoul



Category: Gintama
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Someone give Abuto break, Videogame References, a lot of pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-09-01 03:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20251432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlatinumSoul/pseuds/PlatinumSoul
Summary: 5 times Abuto tries to confess his love to Kamui and the one time it works. Along with typical shenanigans and a bunch of characters interrupting love confessions.





	1. Chapter 1

1.  
Almost everyone was still in high tension alert after everything that happened the day before. Abuto would like to think that, after seeing an immortal monster almost annihilate the strongest people he knew be defeated would make him relieved. He couldn't do it though, his senses kept telling him danger might come at any point. 

He looked around to all his injured fellow Yato and Harusame members, trying not to think of all the casualties that they buried in Earth. The remaining pirates were already in space wondering what their next destination would be. He felt Kamui bump his shoulder with his a little while chowing down large amounts of food continuously. He had a few bandages here and there but the worst of it had already healed. 

Abuto recalled all the times Kamui had been stabbed, impaled and flung around in the last day besides the way his heart sank to his feet every time it happened. The fact that he could feel Kamui's warmth through his shoulder some seconds ago made him feel truly relieved this war was over and his commander wouldn't be biting the dust any time soon. As much as he joked that he'd be better off without Kamui stressing him out with his crazy decisions. The truth is that life wouldn't be any fun had that bonehead never entered his otherwise dull days.

He would be damned if he ever let this idiot die. Abuto would give his life before seeing Kamui not open his eyes again. Kamui meant everything to him. Abuto would face any danger to protect the ragtag bunch of idiots he calls family. But more importantly, he would gladly give his life to protect Kamui from destroying himself. Death wouldn't scare him, as long as he could see his captain smile like he always did.

Abuto moved to place his arm in Kamui's shoulder for comfort. The younger man stopped eating and turned his head towards him. 

"What is it? You want my food? Is that it? Then I'm not giving you any, go get your own food, Abuto" Kamui looked at him suspiciously while munching faster. Abuto just made an annoyed face and said "I'm not going to take your food. So take it easy, don't choke on it."

At that, Kamui went back to eating at a normal pace. Abuto smiled affectionately at him briefly then stared at his own umbrella in contemplation. 

In all honesty, Abuto had realized his feelings for Kamui went beyond simple friendship and his duty as the vice commander of the seventh division. After the whole incident in Rakuyo, it wasn't like he saw Kamui in a new light. More so, he had accepted he was in love with Kamui. He hadn't planned in telling his commander about it but what has happened in recent weeks made him reconsider. 

Having stared at death in the face can change a person's view in the way they see some things. In this case, it made Abuto more courageous. Before all this, he would've been okay with keeping his feelings to himself. Not anymore, if they could die at a moment's notice. Abuto would prefer that Kamui was aware of the situation even if he doesn't reciprocate.

So he had decided to confess as soon as possible and in the most straightforward way possible. So that his idiotic commander could understand. 

Abuto was interrupted from his musings by Kamui's voice who had already finished eating after 20 bowls of food.

"Hey, Abuto. Where would you like to go now that we're free pirates?"

"Does it matter what I think? You'll just do whatever you want anyway."

"Correct"

"See? I told ya."

"But it's no fun if you don't play along, Abuto."

Once he heard that, Abuto started thinking seriously about it. They could go to any planet they wanted. The universe was theirs to explore. They didn't have to worry about the Harusame Elders anymore either. They could make their own adventures without following a set of rules. 

There was no need to rush though, they had all the time to go to all the planets they pleased.

"I'm fine with whatever you decide, commander" Abuto responded with no hesitation.

Kamui smiled like usual with that.

"As expected of you, Abuto. Alright then we'll just land at the nearest planet."

"Roger that, Commander" Abuto said as he was getting up from his seated position in the floor with Kamui. 

"Wait, where are you going?" Kamui pouted obviously not pleased with this. 

"You just told me you want to go to the nearest planet so I'm gonna let the helmsman know that." 

"You don't have to go now. C'mon let's look outside the window" Kamui turned around to look towards the front massive window. He patted the space to his right motioning for Abuto to come back. 

Abuto complied and sat back down with a tender smile adorning his face. He stared at the infinite number of stars in the vast vacuum of space. He felt tiny in that moment seeing how big the universe really was. It was easy to forget such an obvious fact sometimes. Always having fervently followed his commander around, didn't leave him time to ponder over how insignificant they are in the great scheme of the universe. 

He turned his gaze towards Kamui. The younger man looked immersed in the sight that lay before them. He looked as if he could find all the answers in the world if he just looked hard enough. That made Abuto reach to grip the spot where his heart was for a reason he couldn't quite pinpoint. Abuto just knew he would do anything for his commander, that's how strong he felt.

This was all or nothing, he was going to try to do it now.

"Commander, for a while now I have been in-"

"Hey, you two. What are you doing so far away from everyone else? Join us in celebrating victory, we're starting a banquet!" Interrupted Shokaku in high spirits. 

"Ohh more food? Awesome, let's go Abuto!" Said Kamui in a haste who got up from his spot in a flash. 

Well, ok. This was fine. This had to be a sign that confessing right now wasn't the right move. I guess he won't know since Shokaku decided to invite them to go with the others luring Kamui with food. That's an infallible strategy, it had to be on purpose. Abuto didn't even hear him coming towards them until it was too late.

Kamui then grabbed him by the wrist and Abuto started following him. He shifted his gaze to where Kamui's hand made contact with his wrist. He half smiled at this and kept a steady pace to not fall. 

Lady luck must not have been in Abuto's side today.

2.  
It was a very hot day in planet Konokure. Abuto and Kamui were visibly strained even when covering themselves with their umbrellas. Of course, out of all planets that they could've landed in just had to be in one where it's almost all dessert. Abuto had lost rock paper scissors in regards of coming here because he was the rational one out of the two not wanting to land here. He could almost swear that his skin was melting off the longer he stayed outdoors.

Any sane Yato would avoid this place at any cost but not his commander, if it looked exciting then it was a must to go. His legs felt heavier by the moment. The sun was so potent that he could feel it piercing through his clothes making his umbrella not very useful. 

The older Yato shifted his gaze towards his commander who was walking next to him. While Kamui still seemed to have trouble moving as athletically as usual, he seemed determined to not let the heat deter him from having an adventure. In times like this he just couldn't help but admire the bonehead's tenacity. 

"Commander, how long...until we can find somewhere...to rest?" Abuto asked with difficulty between tired sighs.

"Dunno, only way to find out is to keep walking".

"Well it's either we find some good shelter from the sun soon or I'll collapse from the heat first"

"What are you saying, Abuto? You aren't so weak that this would stop you from just walking" responded Kamui snarkily. 

"You overestimate me. Not everyone is as durable or stubborn as you."

"That's true. So it's like starting an RPG at level 50 when all the other members in your party are at level 30 through hard work?" Kamui asked curiously with a smile on his face now.

"No, it's more like you're the mid boss whose attacks and stamina get stronger even though the hp bar is already at its lowest" Abuto retorted back. 

"I see, even then I'm still the villain. Well I hope at least you're my support character in that setting."

"Wouldn't that make the mid boss even harder to beat?"

"Well of course, but it doesn't matter cause the mid boss' goal is to beat the heroes at any cost" Kamui said it with an uncharacteristic aloofness to him. 

Both of them walked silently for several minutes after that, mostly to preserve energy. Abuto was starting to lose hope in finding good shelter from the scalding sun when he spotted something in the distance. It looked like an abandoned building, as tall as their ship from the current distance. 

A smile of relief showed up in Abuto's face at the same time he turned to look at Kamui. His commander enthusiastically returned the smile and nodded springing them to sprint towards the abandoned building. The running only took less than a minute for them to reach the entrance but Abuto's legs made him feel like it had been an hour. Still, he could hear Kamui's laughter. This simple fact was enough to carry his body through the exhaustion, and made him almost forget his earlier annoyance.

The abandoned building was fairly dark inside, Abuto was both thankful and cautious of this place. He put his umbrella back in its holster and started following Kamui to explore the rest of this unknown structure. Seriously, the difference on the air temperature between outside and here was insane. Abuto's whole body was now feeling a refreshed which he gladly appreciated silently. 

After exploring all the rooms they got to one where it was made clear the Tenshouin Naraku used this place as a hideout. Most of them disappeared after the war six months ago so it makes sense none were here. Abuto went and sat in a chair in the middle of the room so he could rest his tired muscles. He looked at Kamui who grabbed a spear that the Naraku used with a dangerous glint in his eyes. 

"You should leave that thing alone, whatever you're thinking of using it for can't be good" Abuto commented absentmindedly.

"Oh? Am I that easy to predict?" Kamui balanced the spear between his arms.

"Of course you are, idiot! I haven't spent years on end cleaning up your messes to not notice your habits."

"I guess that's true" Kamui responded claiming defeat and putting the spear back. He put a seemingly innocent look on his face aa he did it.

Abuto looked around the room spotting different types of machinery. Most of which he wasn't very familiar with. There was a monitor like the one they had back at the seventh division ship. So maybe he could try and see if they could communicate back to it. He'd wait a little more to do that, after all the rest of the division members should be doing their own thing. They had separated from the rest to look for fuel and ended up here.

He heard a loud sound as something hit the door at a high speed. He whipped his head around just to see that Kamui had thrown the same spear through the doorknob. Abuto just sighed and gave him his best "I told you not to do that" look. Kamui just smiled and shrugged pretending like he didn't wait for Abuto to not look so he could do that. The little shit.

The older man just closed his eyes trying to get some relaxation. Actually when he thought about it, this might be a good opportunity to confess. They're alone right now, besides the seventh division there should be no one else they know in this whole planet. It had to feel natural and completely honest. Okay, here went nothing. 

He slowly opened his eyes only to find Kamui staring at him with a look Abuto couldn't quite decipher. The younger man's face was just mere inches away from his face. So close, so close, so close. From this close he could see Kamui's eyelashes in detail. His blue eyes were like looking at two pairs of oceans. His lips unmoving, had Abuto in a trance. He was beautiful in all the sense of the word, Abuto just felt mesmerized by the sight in front of him. Wait, he had to say something quick.

"Uh Commander… actually I've been meaning to just say that for some time now I've had-"

Suddenly the door of the room was forced open despite the spear having locked it in place. Dust rose from that same spot, Abuto managed to see a hooded figure emerging from there. Kamui swiftly rushed to hit the stranger with his umbrella. Surprisingly the stranger blocked the attack with their own umbrella. They kicked Kamui hard on the stomach sending him across the room. 

"Commander!" Abuto yelled in concern.

He got in a fighting stance, ready to give the hooded figure a piece of his mind. He got his umbrella from its holster very carefully when the stranger removed their hoodie revealing long orange hair and familiar blue eyes. It was the commander's sister. Out of all places for her to visit, it just had to be here. For crying out loud. 

"Oh Kamui, I didn't see you there. You've gotten careless, heh" expressed the young girl mockingly. 

"It's been awhile since we saw each other and this is how you greet your big brother? You got no manners, Kagura" said Kamui already up unscathed from that earlier kick. 

"You're the one with no manners, idiotic brother. Attacking a growing lady with no warning, you didn't even give me a chance to tell you who I am."

"A rule from combat is to always attack someone if they seem a threat to you. It could prove useful to remember that for later, sister. At the end of the day, it's your fault for opening that door so abruptly. Surely I would think we were under attack" Kamui responded.

"How was I supposed to know you'd be here in this planet that's more desolated than daddy's head of hair? Besides this building was the only one to shield from the sun. Wait, we?" She finally noticed Abuto's presence and glanced at his direction. "So you're here too. I see, that's right" she mumbled as if confirming something on her head. 

"Been a while, Miss. I apologize for my commander's rudeness as always" 

"Don't sweat it, I'm very used to it" the girl said with a deadpan look picking her nose. "Well I'll leave you two to go back to whatever boring stuff you were doing before I showed up. Gin-chan says that is not nice to be a third wheel" she finished with a shit eating grin. 

Kamui gave her an slightly irritated look momentarily, but changed to a neutral one right away. Abuto looked at the ceiling not knowing exactly where else to fix his gaze after a comment like that. The siblings started bickering some more after that but Abuto was glad there was no real bite to it.  
Seems like it wasn't the right time to confess yet.

Lady Luck must not have been in Abuto's side today and it was understandable.

3.  
Earth was as lively as Abuto remembered it to be. Spring had seemingly started recently here, he could tell by the falling cherry blossoms everywhere. Abuto had told Kamui to rendezvous in front of the terminal four hours after they arrived in the planet. As expected he wasn't there yet, so Abuto decided to walk around and see if maybe he could grab some food in case his commander was hungry. Well it wasn't an if, he was always hungry. 

He finished purchasing a bunch of meat, sweets, and sushi. Abuto ended up walking through town with 4 shopping bags in his hands. He went back to see if Kamui had gone in front of the terminal but that was not the case. The ash haired Yato just sighed and looked patiently for his friend. He got to the outskirts of Kabuki-cho where there was nothing but cherry flower trees in an open field.

There he caught the sight of the very dear person he had been looking for the past hour. Kamui was sleeping sprawled under a fairly big tree, the shade covering his whole frame. Abuto walked towards that same tree careful not to make loud noises. He sat down to Kamui's left putting the four bags filled with food in the other side. The older Yato smiled softly seeing Kamui's chest rise slowly and steady. It was rare seeing him this peaceful. 

Abuto raised his arms above his head and closed his eyes trying to get some shut eye along Kamui. 

What woke him up was someone shaking him by the shoulders, rather roughly. He opened his eyes to see a groggy Kamui in front of him. By looking at the sky, Abuto could tell it had already turned into evening. He had only wanted to take a quick nap before it got too late, well it couldn't be helped now.

"Abuto? Why were you asleep here too? You're always the one telling me not to be careless." Kamui rubbed his eyes.

The older Yato felt heat treacherously rush to his cheeks. He knew already that he was supposed to be the responsible one between the two. Kamui pointing that out made him more self aware about it, but he felt that just once didn't hurt

"I got tired searching for your idiotic ass, so I decided to take some rest. Anything wrong with that?" Abuto said hurriedly. 

"Nope, just wondering. You never do that so I thought it was weird. As expected of you to find me in such a place."

"Nothing special. I just stumbled upon this place after not finding you in the town"

Kamui nodded in understanding. Abuto saw that the younger Yato had a bad case of bedhead, his hair just stuck out in the most random of directions. Abuto unconsciously reached out to help Kamui's hair stay in place. He stayed very focused on the task at hand for a minute until he realized what he was doing and stopped. 

"You had a bedhead so I just tried to make it look less shitty" Abuto tried to explain himself. 

Kamui just looked at him expectantly as if he figured there was more to be said. Maybe this was the opening Abuto has been waiting for to confess now. He hadn't been successful yet but well they do say the third time's the charm. He looked to his sides to see if there was anything to interfere but it didn't seem that way. He could do it this time, it would be ridiculous if he couldn't somehow.

"Commander, I would really like if we-"

"Oh Takechi-senpai, isn't that Abuto and Kamui from the seventh division"

"It seems like they are, indeed."

Abuto heard a pair of familiar voices from behind the tree he was sitting on. Of course his shitty luck would have this happen right before his confession happens again. 

He got up to greet them properly and grabbed Kamui from his cape for him to do the same. His commander seemed to be sulking at their two past allies which Abuto shared the sentiment although more than likely for a different reason. 

"How have you guys been? We haven't heard of you since last year" Matako asked with genuine interest. 

"We've been hanging around alright, we go wherever the commander feels is more adventurous." Said Abuto.

"That's good to know, it can be nice to live on the moment" said Takechi. 

"Hey hey, where's Shinsuke? I don't see him with you guys!" asked Kamui checking the surrounding area for him. 

Both Kiheitai members made pained expressions at this.

"We don't know actually. That's what we've been doing since the war ended, looking for Shinsuke-sama around the whole country. Still, no luck" replied Matako quietly. 

Abuto didn't miss the way Kamui looked disappointed of that response. Oh, so that's probably what he was sulking about before. Should've made the connection earlier. He knows he shouldn't take this to heart but feels discouraged about it all the same.

"Well this got boring so I'll just go on ahead to the terminal and wait for you there, Abuto" said Kamui with his usual smile already in his face.

"Sure, you can take some of the food I bought earlier. I won't take long" said Abuto. 

Kamui just grabbed the bags still lying in front of the big cherry blossom tree. He started walking away while munching on something he had grabbed from one of the food bags. Abuto gazed at his retreating back for a second longer than he intended. 

"Matako-san, I'll head to town so we can have some food too and rest for the day" said Takechi.

"Got it, senpai. I'll be here so take your time" said Matako dismissively. The moment Takechi got out from hearing distance Matako smiled mischievously towards Abuto. He had a bad feeling about this. 

"So what's up between you and Kamui?"

"I don't know what you mean, the commander and I were just resting peacefully before you arrived" Abuto deflected the question carefully.

"Ohh peaceful? With that guy? It looked to me rather romantic especially with a brute like him that can't stay calm for a minute" said a now giggling Matako.

"Well then your eyes must be deceiving you, nothing could be romantic with that idiot. Besides the commander can be calm when he so pleases, he just doesn't feel like it often" said Abuto trying to his best to sound convincing.

"It's not my eyes, call it feminine intuition. You can pretend that you don't see him like the sun comes out of his ass when almost no one's looking but you can't fool me"

Abuto made a resigned sound to those words. Fine, he didn't have to say it outloud but there was no use trying to keep denying it with her. 

"So are you gonna tell him"

Abuto groaned in irritation. He didn't really want to talk about this with this woman. Well, she had experience having a one sided love on Takasugi. To be fair, this could be a chance to get valuable advice. Abuto was the one who knew Kamui best though, so was there a point in asking? Ah screw it.

"I was going to when you two arrived" 

"Oh I guess that's my bad. I only realized what the atmosphere was after I called out to you guys"

Abuto just stared at her annoyed.

"Okay okay. I can make it up to you by telling you that the best way to get through a guy's heart is their stomach. Especially your commander, you can take him somewhere where he can eat all he can" Matako looked proud of herself.

"I could've come up with that. So your idea is food? That could work, the commander is always in a good mood when he eats."

"See? I told you my advice is good"

"Yeah yeah, it still hasn't worked so don't cheer for victory yet" responded Abuto scratching his head. 

"Hey, do you think the commander..." Abuto started but then paused. An unwarranted image of Kamui smiling next to Takasugi in battle popped in his mind. That nagging feeling of insecurity came back. He forcefully made it go away with a slow shake of his head. "Nevermind. It was something stupid" Abuto said instead.

Takechi was coming back now with something that looked like bento boxes in his hands. Matako looked slightly confused at Abuto's change of words but stayed quiet.

"Well I gotta go now or the idiot will get impatient and wander around town again" said Abuto turning around to leave. "Also good luck on finding Takasugi" said while signaling goodbye with his prosthetic arm.

He wouldn't be able to see it but Matako looked grateful at that sentiment. 

Lady luck must not have been on Abuto's side today but it gave him hope anyway.

4.  
Ichizenmeshiya planet had good weather, it wasn't too cold or too hot. The both of them were headed to the most popular restaurant in the planet, with Kamui chipperly walking next to him telling him to hurry. 

Abuto had been the one to say that they should visit this planet. It was famous for having the most affordable but finest restaurants in the galaxy. If it was just Abuto's idea then he would've just gone with a regular buffet. He actually got the suggestion from Matako who he had getting advice from since the last time they saw each other. She said the buffet idea was lame so going to an actual restaurant was obviously the most romantic option. 

So now here they were in their way to Little Flower restaurant, good thing he had made a reservation a month in advance. He had used a fair amount of his annual salary for this outing, but his commander didn't need to know that. A lot of things had gotten in the way of his confession. He was going all out this time so it would really be discouraging if something happened again. Abuto really wanted to let everything out of his chest, but it was starting to be difficult acting like it didn't bother him. 

They arrived at the restaurant in the afternoon, Abuto said his name when asked for a reservation. The duo was led to a corner of the restaurant where they wouldn't be disturbed by other customers. He was glad there wasn't a need for formal wear here. They were wearing their usual attire so it was better more comfortable this way.

The older Yato sneaked glances at his commander while looking at the menu. He seemed eager to order, that was normal. Abuto called a waiter to make their orders.

Kamui listed around 10 different dishes to the poor waiter who struggled to keep up with everything. Abuto just ordered a main dish and dessert. After the waiter left, Kamui seemed to finally take in his surroundings. He looked very curiously at every detail that was around them. 

"So this is how a restaurant looks from the inside, huh. I never knew that." 

That one statement made Abuto's chest tighten inexplicably. This information was expected yet still affected him.

"Yeah, not all look the same. This one is just a little more pristine because people from all over the galaxy know it has great quality food" Abuto said looking at the table.

"Oh great quality? Then I can't wait to taste it!" Kamui exclaimed with a big smile. 

Abuto smiled faintly at the simplicity of making his commander happy. A few minutes after, Kamui's first three dishes arrived. He was digging in as if he hadn't eaten for two days. The older yato found Kamui's way of eating a bit endearing, he didn't care if others found it impolite.

The rest of the food arrived little by little, Abuto started eating, it was as good as he had heard it was. When he looked up from his plate, Abuto noticed Kamui was looking intently at him. Well that's new, usually it was the other way around.

"What is it, commander?"

"Nothing. Abuto, you eat so little that if I didn't know you better I'd say you were on a diet"

"Not everyone can gulf down three times their size in food every meal, bonehead" Abuto said jokingly.

"That's true, I'm unique that way so you better treat me to this awesome food more often" Kamui said with a grin.

"Well excuse me, your moronic highness. It seems I didn't receive the memo that this was a part of the job. Once a year is my only offer if you want me to do it" Abuto responded in kind with a grin of his own.

"Only once a year? Stingy" Kamui said almost pouting.

"If you wanna come here alone then you're free to do so whenever you like."

It would be great if his commander said no to that.

"Nah, I'd rather wait when I can come with you. It's more fun that way, don't you think?"

"Sure, I'm okay with it either way"

This was really good, now he had plans to come to this restaurant with Kamui for the foreseeable future. He felt giddy all over, although made sure not to show it outwardly. Kamui might look like he doesn't care but he probably prefers if there's someone at his side after all. His commander wasn't one to show affection, and when he did it was subtle. It was very much treasured when it did happen. 

Dinner was continued by Kamui chomping down loudly on his fifth dish. Maybe this was a good time as any to come clean with his feelings. Abuto turned his head all directions to make sure nothing was coming their way. 

Abuto cleared his throat trying to calm himself and getting Kamui to notice him. It worked. 

"Commander, I would like you to know that I've-"

At the same time something broke through the restaurant's roof and flew pass Abuto to end up behind Kamui. Something that looked like a giant black beetle was right above the roof.

Of freaking course, something had to happen. It's just Abuto's rotten luck that something had to happen. If he didn't know any better he would think all these things were done on purpose.

Both men got up from their seats and went to see what was that flew right before them.

"My apologies, bystanders. It seems I didn't perceive this thing's defense very well" said the person on the floor.

It was a Yato, who was getting up and dusting off the rubble from his clothes. Although it wasn't just any Yato, it was the greatest alien hunter Umibozu. He also happened to be the father of his commander and closest friend.

Abuto nervously looked at Kamui to gauge his reaction regarding the new arrival. His commander looked visibly annoyed seeing his father appear out of nowhere.

"Umibozu, we unfortunately meet again" said a challenging Kamui. 

"Oh it's you, Kamui. I take back the apology on that case. I don't have time to play with you today" said Umibozu unamused.

The younger Yato popped a vein hearing that. Umibozu appearing and dinner getting interrupted had to be a bad combo. His commander didn't usually get upset but it wasn't pretty when the occasion arised. Especially when it came to matters concerning his bald father. Sure, it wasn't as bad as it once was. It didn't make Abuto feel less uneasy whenever these two met up.

"You're getting tossed around by such a weak creature? You've really lost your touch. I'm a little disappointed" Kamui snarkily remarked. 

The giant beetle was about to hit the roof with its head. Abuto looked around, it seemed like the rest of the customers had evacuated already. That meant they didn't have to worry of killing others in the process of killing this thing.

"Uhm could you guys leave this kind of discussion for later?" Abuto asked kindly.

"Oh? You're here too? That's what I was trying to tell my idiot son. He never listens, though. If he did that, things would be easier."

"I can agree to that" said Abuto.

Kamui looked at Abuto offended as if he had betrayed him. His commander could be petty when it came to his father too. Abuto couldn't say he was a fan of that, but it was worth it if he got to see him smile happily later.

"Fine, I can even kill that thing by myself. Just sit by and watch me" Kamui flashed a murderous smile. He jumped towards the giant beetle as it completely tore through what remained of the roof. Kamui shot at it several times but its skin was too hard to be affected by that.

Meanwhile, Umibozu was taking in the scene that he interrupted before he arrived. The table they had been in was a fair distance away from others. It was hard to tell now that the roof where they were standing was gone but the lighting was dim. There were flowers on a vase in the middle of the table. Every table had them but it was getting difficult to not see what kind of situation this could've been.

Sweat was accumulating in Abuto's forehead. It's like he could see the gears turning inside Umibozu's head. 

"Say, what were you two doing before I arrived?" 

He expected this question.

"Just having dinner. The commander has been unusually working hard so everyone from the seventh division pitched in to afford the high prices here" Abuto responded as casually as he could. 

"If everyone helped then why did only the two of you come here" Umibozu pressed.

"Well this kind of restaurant is the type that only has tables for two people. Besides the commander prefers to eat in places that aren't too crowded" Abuto thinks he dodged a bullet there. Now Umibozu shouldn't suspect anything about Abuto's plans. There was a thoughtful expression on Umibozu's face for a few seconds.

"So are you trying to date my son or what"

"Huh?!" Abuto gasped in surprise. Shit, how did he get that from his answer? This is totally what he was trying to avoid. He'd have to try and play it smooth now. "Why would you think that? Just out of curiosity."

"Hmm I don't quite believe your reasons to bring him somewhere as fancy as here. Kamui wouldn't care about the fanciness of a place as a reward. Someone who knows him as good as you would know that. You have something you wanna tell him that has to be just right" 

"Yeah…" 

How was he this good in figuring that out? Was he an esper?

"The truth is the way you look at him reminds me of how I looked at his mom. You could choose to go anywhere else in the universe without his stupidity but you'd be lonely like that, right? You two make a good duo, don't let your chance go to waste by just keep being associates like I almost did"

Abuto took a real good look at Umibozu now. His eyes had a fond look to them with a tint of sadness, the kind that would never truly go away. So that's how it was, huh. That was the first time he heard this, it gave him a strange sort of confidence and honor at being a confidant on this.

"You don't care that we're both guys?" Abuto asked just to be sure. 

"Not in particular, I'm just glad my idiot son found someone that loves him for who he is. Kamui can be quite a handful so someone who already is fully aware of that and stays by his side regardless is indispensable. He can act like he can do everything on his own but he likes having someone he cares for with him. You're a decent person so I trust that you'll keep treating him like you've done up till now" 

"Yes, sir. You're right that your son can be annoying and reckless to a fault but I would die first before leaving him alone" Abuto answered honestly.

"That's good to know. Also, a word of advice. Never put his life above his personal happiness. That's something I wish I had learned before it was too late" Umibozu mused

"Understood" That had to relate to the commander's mom but Abuto decided not to ask about it. He'll keep the advice on his mind anyway. Images of him fighting to get his commander's smile back on Rakuyo flashed back to him. He already had a bit of an understanding of what Umibozu meant. 

"Glad we can understand each other. Just know that if the day comes when you go back on your words that you've said to me. Let's just say you won't have time to apologize riddled with bullet holes" Umibozu said while casually swinging his umbrella back and forth. 

He was definitely not joking, Abuto awkwardly smiled. This old baldy can be really scary when he wants. Abuto nodded to emphasize he got it.

"Also tell my brat to contact me at least once a year, since you two are almost inseparable. I'll be expecting at least a word from you."

"I'll try my best" said Abuto sheepishly. Man, was he really that obvious? More people kept on noticing Abuto's object of affection. Except for the most important person. "I still haven't told the commander anything though, I don't even have much hope he'll say yes."

"Huh, so you're not as perceptive as I took you to be" said Umibozu.

Abuto arched an eyebrow at that. He didn't have time to ask what that meant. Several big pieces of beetle corpse started raining around them. Kamui landed on top of one of them looking a little bored. 

"This thing wasn't even worth my time" said Kamui.

"I could've killed it faster if you had let me, and made less of a mess in the process" said Umibozu calmly.

Kamui frowned at that. These two really couldn't get along, at least deep down Abuto knew they cared for each other. 

"There's more dead beetle pieces scattered than hairs in your head" Abuto chimed in. 

"That's true" Kamui smiled mockingly. He turned to look at Abuto and winked at him. That was kinda cute. So making fun of Umibozu's lack of hair made Kamui get into a good mood again. That was useful to know. 

"I have hair, it's not my fault you guys can't see it" Umibozu said. He started walking away from them. "I'll take my leave now, too bad your special dinner was ruined. I can send you the money you paid for it later if you want."

Once Umibozu was out of sight, Abuto looked at Kamui inquisitively.  
"Do you wanna go back to the ship or walk to the nearby park to process the food?" Abuto asked. 

"Walk in the park! Let's race to see who gets to the swings first."

"Sure" said Abuto smiling fondly while preparing to run. 

Lady luck must not have been in Abuto's side today and that was okay.

5.  
The day when Kamui would have his twentieth birthday had arrived. The seventh division was finishing preparations for the party, not a surprise one. Last time they tried that, there had been broken bones and some blood inflicted by Kamui. So they decided to not do it again. Their commander was just playing videogames in his room until further notice.

The decorations and cake were all being supervised by Abuto. Only a few things needed some revising and then it would be all ready. 

A few minutes passed and everything was good to throw a birthday party. Abuto headed to Kamui's room so he could take him where everyone else was about to start celebrating. He passed by his own room, where he had hidden his gift for Kamui. 

He was initially just going to give him a spare umbrella as a gift, but decided to ask Matako via email. She told him that something just for usefulness wasn't enough if he wanted to make an impact. Apparently when the kiheitai took the commander's sister to their home planet, there was a grave she had visited. That was more than likely the commander's mother's grave. There she saw a flower had been left there before the kiheitai arrived, it had to be his commander who left the flower there.

Thus Abuto came up with the idea to go to Rakuyo a few days ago to look for that same type of flower. That's why now a bouquet of flowers was in a drawer on his bedroom, thankfully they didn't need sun to survive. Now the hard part was to find the right timing to give them to Kamui and whether he'd like them or not.

The door to Kamui's room was slightly open so Abuto invited himself inside. His commander was splayed on the floor upside down controller in hand. He was playing super mario world in an old snes Abuto had purchased in one of their travels to Earth. The older Yato nudged Kamui lightly in the shoulder with his foot. 

"Hey, what is it? Do you wanna play with me, Abuto?" Kamui asked still staring at the screen. 

"You know that usually I would join you but today is different. Come to celebrate with everyone else, commander" Abuto replied.

"Alright, is the cake big?" Kamui got up and turned the game off. 

"We got the biggest one we could find, it's as tall as you." 

"Nice, can't wait to eat it." 

They started walking back to the main room of the ship were the rest of the seventh division was waiting. If Abuto were to be honest, he didn't have much hope to confess this time. If it happened then great, but the idea to do it was starting to look less believable by the day. It had almost been two years he started trying confess his feelings. Every time he felt brave enough to try something interrupted him. Maybe he would be inconveniencing his commander, after all. All this time Kamui hadn't tried to ask him out or anything like that so his feelings were not reciprocated. 

Abuto was happy enough as things were currently, really. Well he would be lying to himself if he denied his despondency at the possibility of not becoming something more with Kamui. His commander's well being was way more important than his own feelings, so he could bear it. If today's attempt failed then he'd give up in trying to come forth with a confession.

Looking down to his side, he found Kamui turning his head towards him at the same time. 

"Commander-"  
"Aren't you gonna-"

They stared at each other for what felt like a long minute then slowly looked away from each other. Well great, now he had made things awkward without meaning to. It wasn't his fault they both wanted to talk at the same time, but why doing that was embarrassing? Should he leave his commander to speak first? But what if he doesn't want to anymore after that? Oh screw it.

"Commander, you know how you've told us to not make a big deal out of today" Abuto said hesitantly as he glanced at Kamui again.

"Yeah?" Kamui eagerly awaited for a follow up. 

"Well we did as you said and it's something rather homey now. Although there's still plenty for you to enjoy"

The younger Yato looked subdued for a quick second, so fast that Abuto thought maybe he imagined it. He can't think why he would be down about it. Abuto was there the time his commander told everyone to just do something small to celebrate his birthday. Maybe Kamui was just hungry for the cake. 

The main room was brought to life the moment they entered. Everyone yelled "Happy birthday" to their commander under a poster that said the same thing. Kamui basically leapt at the humongous cake in the middle of the room with a lit candle in the form of the number 20. Abuto just grabbed a cupcake from a nearby table and sat down. 

The seventh division was spread out eating cupcakes and chatting the evening away. After around fifteen minutes, the commander had finished his cake and his belly looked ready to burst. Kamui walked slowly behind Abuto and rested his elbows on the older man's shoulders. 

"I know it's you, commander"

"Abuto, carry me in your back. I feel so full, I don't feel like walking" Kamui dragged the last word emphasizing it. 

"Aren't you gonna stay here longer? We took our time to decorate and all."

"Nah, it's fine. It's better if the rest of the guys enjoy themselves, I don't really care about the celebration itself" Kamui said nonchalantly.

"Well then what's in it for me if I do it" Abuto pretended to sigh. 

"The honor of being able to say that you gave a piggyback ride to the future pirate king." 

"Fine, but I also get the right to hog the snes for a whole day tomorrow." 

"Deal" Kamui gave him bright grin.

Abuto got up from his chair so he could kneel and stretch his arms backwards. Kamui put his legs over Abuto's arms and grabbed pretty tight to his neck. It took a few moments to get the balance right before Abuto rose again. Although not without having tapped Kamui's wrists to stop him from almost strangling him. Now with his commander on his back, Abuto turned to everyone else and waved them goodbye for the day. 

Abuto headed to Kamui's room at his own pace. It had been years since he had to carry his commander on his back. Every part of his body that was in contact with Kamui was burning. As if it was about to be ignited in flames the longer they stayed that way. It was a good feeling, nonetheless. Like when you taste a really hot food and sizzle your tongue but you keep eating because you're impatient. 

He kept walking towards his commander's room trying to ignore what he was feeling. Kamui slowly let his hold on his neck fall and his head which was on top of the other man fell to Abuto's left shoulder. Abuto could hear Kamui's breathing in his left ear. Wait, was he really falling asleep like this? Abuto just readjusted his hold on Kamui's legs and walked more carefully than before. 

The door was opened by Abuto as silently as possible. He proceeded to lower Kamui from his back and deposit him in his bed. In a certain way, as if he'd break if he didn't do it delicately enough. Abuto began turning to leave the room.

He felt a hand pulling his cape down a little. He turned back around to see Kamui with half lidded eyes looking up at him. At that moment the faint light from the tableside lamp made Kamui look as if he was glowing. Abuto wondered what would it feel to kiss Kamui right there. 

"Weren't you asleep, moron?"

"That's just what you thought" said Kamui releasing a stifled yawn.

"So you are sleepy, you suck at acting" said Abuto.

"Nah, you'd be surprised. There's things even you can't figure out about me." 

That caught Abuto by surprise. He couldn't really deny it, there were times he just couldn't decipher Kamui's thoughts. Still it was odd for Kamui to bring it up, did he want him to know what he wanted all the time? Abuto couldn't think of something that Kamui would care enough to hide. There was something Abuto had to do before the day was over too.

"Commander, I need to go to my room quickly and come back" Abuto said.

Kamui let go of Abuto's cape and nodded putting both of his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes and settled into a sitting position to wait for Abuto. 

The older Yato went to his own room as fast as he could and looked for the flowers in the drawer he left them. He shook them off a bit with his hands in case they had caught some dust. He walked back feeling jittery but with a positive sense of anticipation, that he hoped wasn't misplaced. He exhaled steadily and dried the sweat from his hands in his pants. He entered Kamui's room again. His commander was the same as he left him before leaving. Abuto put the flowers right in front of Kamui's face.

"Happy birthday, commander!"

Kamui opened his eyes and he stayed still for a few moments. Those few seconds were enough to make Abuto panic. Of course he wouldn't care about them. The commander wasn't one about gestures like this. He knew he should've gone with the umbrella. All the fleeting worries stopped once Kamui grabbed the bouquet of flowers from his hands. Kamui's smile was so bright and warm that it could rival the sun yet there was a tint of sadness to it. 

"You said it, I thought you had forgotten about it. You even brought me a present"  
Kamui said.

"What do you mean? Of course I didn't forget about it, I even helped with the party. I just couldn't find the right time to congratulate you and hand you the gift. What do you think about it?" Abuto sat down in Kamui's bed looking at the wall in front of him. 

"I'm impressed you knew about these. I never told you about it. Did you know they were my mom's favorite type of flower? The first time she told me, I spent hours trying to find one. When I finally found one and gave it to her she was so pleased, she made me my favorite food for three days straight." Kamui paused, his voice sounded fondly at the happy memory. "Thank you Abuto. This flower at one point became a reason for grief but now I can be happy to see it again."

Abuto was just wide eyed, speechless. His commander, the one who never talked about his past was sharing something precious with him. He focused on Kamui's face and saw that indeed his sight wasn't lying to him. This was simply a man living free, not obsessed with strength and who valued his bonds with others more. He looked the most beautiful he's ever seen, no murderous smile or enraged shackled by past grudges. It was the commander he had fallen in love a good long while ago.

"If you'd like, would it be okay if I-"

"Commander, Vice commander. Come quick, we're being attacked by four other ships!".

And once again he was interrupted. He was ready to give up at this point. Even if he couldn't ask him out then just staying friends would make him satisfied. Or so he kept telling himself. 

Lady Luck must not have been in Abuto's side today and it hurt.

+1  
It had been several hours since they had been attacked. Their ship had crashed in a planet Abuto wasn't familiar with and to make matters worse he was alone. He had tried to find his commander at first but decided against it, due to how strenuous it would be. For all he knew he could last days wondering around this planet and not find him. So he would just try to find shelter from enemies. 

This planet was full of forests so just being sneaky was good enough to shield his presence for the time being. Night time was creeping in, that was when Abuto found a cave big enough to enter and sleep on. He used some tree leaves to make a makeshift blanket and pillow. Hopefully he could reunite with his commander and other comrades soon. It took a while of being in guard that he finally fell into a light sleep. 

When he woke up taking in his surroundings, he was visibly disappointed to still be alone in this unknown planet. He had to find some food, so he went out on the forest to kill an animal for breakfast. After walking good distance away from the cave, something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. It was someone from the Shinra tribe, the guy was facing away from Abuto. No doubt, if Abuto even moved an inch the Shinra guy would notice. So they had been the ones who entrapped them. 

Suddenly, Abuto heard someone coming at high speed from his back side. Swiftly he delivered a powerful kick to the shinra guy that had been about to attack him knocking him out. The one on the front had noticed this and was heading towards Abuto too. The Yato drew his umbrella from its holster and shot him to death. In just less than a minute, he was surrounded by more than twenty shinra tribe members. Shit, they always attacked in packs. 

The sound from the bullets must've alerted all the others. Abuto dodged and blocked every blade he could, but it just wasn't enough. Every shinra he took down didn't seem to matter. Their numbers seemed to multiply every time Abuto checked how many were left.

He broke the neck of one but it was too late to stop the blade that went clean right through the yato's shoulder. His umbrella had run out of bullets. He had been slashed in the shoulder blades besides receiving multiple stab wounds in his arm and legs. He was about to be stabbed in the face, but he managed to block it with his prosthetic arm. Unfortunately in that process his arm got chopped off, losing it once again. Seriously, what did everyone had against his left arm?

The tired yato gritted his teeth and clenched his bloody fists. Abuto endured the endless onslaught of attacks as best possible. His limbs were crying in pain, so much that it took all the effort he had to stay standing. 

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Abuto shouted a battle cry at the top of his lungs, he couldn't give up just yet. He smiled with a crazy glint on his eyes, they would have to do better if they wanted to get rid of him

There was someone he had to see, there was no way he was dying here.

He hit a few of them with his umbrella wide open. Two charged at him from his right and left flanks. Abuto grabbed them by their heads and slammed them to the ground as hard as he could. He retrieved his umbrella when something hit him so freakishly strong it sent him flying a few meters forward. He was sure he felt something crack inside his body. 

Abuto coughed up blood, laying down on his stomach. Forced himself to get on his knees using his umbrella as a crutch. He was having trouble breathing. Abuto touched his abdomen scrunching his face in agony. Definitely sure he had at least three broken ribs now. He was bleeding so much that a little puddle was forming under him. It took him all his strength to turn around still in his crouched position to see what it was that did him such damage. 

It was a dakini warrior holding a big metal kanabo. The bastards weren't enough so they brought this tank. The huge dakini kept getting closer to him. Damn, this was unexpected.

If he knew they had a dakini working for them, then he would've run until he found someone else to fight alongside. The dakini was getting ready to deliver a killing blow. Abuto's vision was getting blurry and his hold on the umbrella was weakening substantially. 

Man, he really wished he could've seen his commander's face one last time. He wondered what his commander was doing right now. Hopefully his death won't weigh heavy on him. Abuto at least wanted Kamui to remember him for a long time. Still such was his luck that he wasn't able to tell him how he felt. 

If only Abuto wasn't so indecisive maybe things would've been a little different.

Maybe if he had told him then they would already had been dating.

But now he'd never know. 

Abuto's eyes closed instinctively, yet no hit came. That was weird. He reluctantly opened his eyes again. In front of him was a tall figure with vermillion hair and a purple umbrella with his back turned to Abuto. The dakini's head was rolling in the floor and there were more shinra tribe members dead. The few left standing were frozen in place or running away. The figure turned to look at Abuto. His vision was still unfocused, but he knew it was his idiotic but beloved commander. 

Abuto smiled widely despite all his grave injuries. He tried to ignore the lump on his throat and failed. His hand that was supporting his body on the umbrella gave up. Abuto didn't fall on the ground but on his commander's shoulder who had knelt next to him. Kamui put his right hand on Abuto's shoulder and helped him up. 

"Commander, sorry. I guess I wasn't strong enough on my own to defeat the enemy" Abuto's voice cracked.

"Don't talk, Abuto. Just save your energy for recovering." Kamui said with a hint of desperation. 

The commander had truly become kind. 

"Commander, if I don't make it please stay the way you are now."

"What? You're hallucinating already? I'm supposed to be the idiot and you the responsible one who always helps me" Kamui paused briefly. "You won't die here, Abuto. You said you'd be the one to help me become Pirate King, right? So don't you dare leave me alone now" Kamui said somberly.

Abuto had no strength left in his body anymore. Keeping his eyes open got harder by the second. He was at his limit. At last, he softly whispered something unconsciously "Why didn't I just told you I loved you ages ago?"

The older yato failed to notice how Kamui's body stiffened momentarily. The last thing Abuto saw before everything turned black was Kamui's lips trembling and muttering something he couldn't hear.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The first thing Abuto noticed after waking up was that he was in a bed. The room he was in was one he hadn't seen before, must be one from another Harusame division. Abuto took a good look at himself, there were bandages almost everywhere in his body. His missing arm had already been replaced. Damn, how long had he been out?

He turned with difficulty towards his left to see a too familiar person sleeping in a chair to the right of his bed. Kamui was in an uncomfortable posture, lightly snoring and with noticeable dark circles under his eyes. Abuto was overwhelmed by a sense of fondness over this sight. Just when he thought he couldn't love his commander more, this happens.

The older yato tried to sit down but failed grunting in pain instead. Kamui's eyes fluttered open in defense mode until he recognized where he was. He looked at Abuto and his sleepiness disappeared completely. Immediately Abuto was being hugged by Kamui. Wow, his commander was hugging him!? Did he actually die and went to heaven? Wait, the wounds still hurt due to the pressure of the hug. That made it real. Abuto would definitely enjoy the little time this was gonna last. 

"Commander, I can't breathe." Abuto said smiling.

"Oh true, I'll let you lie down again. My bad"

Abuto's eyes widened slightly. The commander was apologizing? Today was truly full of surprises. 

"So, how long was I out?" Abuto asked.

"Almost two days" Kamui responded dejectedly. 

That was more than he had expected, but to be fair the worse could've been death. So that meant his commander had stayed by his side all that time? The same guy who couldn't stay in one place, always overflowing with energy? Maybe he was misunderstanding something.

There had been probably a lot of work and it was after that was done that the commander came to check on him. He fell asleep and that's when Abuto woke up. That had to be it, Abuto wasn't important enough for him to be this worried. 

"I see, are we in a Harusame ship?"

"Yeah, it's the 5th division's ship. Also, don't try to get up. You'll open your wounds" 

"What if I wanna go to the restroom or for food?" Abuto wondered aloud

"Well that's why there's a bucket next to the bed. I'll bring you food and water so don't worry" Kamui replied with an usual smile.

The older yato checked the left side of the floor and indeed the bucket was there. Just great. "Besides, my injuries could've been reopened moments ago when you were squeezing me" Abuto mumbled.

"What was that" Kamui kept smiling but his eyes were closed.

"Nothing, don't pay attention to me. It's not like I wanna get up any time soon. I'll use this as a vacation" Abuto didn't wanna irritate his commander first thing waking up. 

He accommodated himself in the bed and waited for Kamui to leave the room. But that never happened, his commander just kept staring at him confused. As if he had solved who the mystery killer was in a danganronpa game only to suspect he had it all wrong. The older yato miraculously managed to sit down. Abuto was about to ask what was on his mind when Kamui beat him to it.

"Say Abuto, don't you have something that you wanted to tell me? Something that you keep being interrupted at, like a love confession" Kamui looked at him intently.

Abuto's mouth opened wide, it was as if the whole world stopped. How did Kamui know? That didn't matter now, the point was that he knew. There was no backing down now, this was the moment of truth. Kamui was actually starting to look nervous, he had to say something quick. 

"I..well..you see, that's exactly what- wait let me gather my thoughts" Abuto took a deep breath, but it backfired making him wince from pain. He takes a look at his bandaged hands. They were tightly gripping the white blanket covering him."It's true. It is a fact that I'm in love with you. Like you said, I've tried to confess multiple times in the past but it didn't work out. You don't have to answer if you don't want. If it makes you uncomfortable you can just ignore it completely." Abuto said still not daring to look at Kamui.

All of a sudden, he felt a sharp of pain in his forehead forcing him to double over in his stomach. He touched his forehead whining loudly. Kamui had flicked him in the forehead! What the hell?

"Look who's acting like a moron now. You're not even going to give me a chance to respond? What a rude vice commander I have. Do you really think I would worry like this for anyone else? Do you really think I would let other people do with me half the stuff I do with you? Really now, you're surprisingly dense" Kamui ranted with an almost offended look.

"I'm not sure I get it" now it was Abuto's turn to be confused.

"I'm saying that you should ask me out"

That was when the realization hit Abuto. His commander felt the same he did. After such a long time agonizing, he didn't need to anymore. This is what the commander wanted, right?

"You're sure about this? If this is just some fleeting feeling, then you should stop." 

"I'm sure,don't think you're the only who's been waiting for this. So just hurry up already" 

"Commander, I love you more than anyone else I've ever met. Even though, I don't have much to offer, would you want to go out with me after my injuries have healed?" Abuto still asked not being able to help the nerves he felt.

"Yeah, I would like that a lot. And you have a lot to offer, don't sell yourself short. There's plenty of things you've showed me and done for me. I will never forget, Abuto" Kamui said with a rejoiced smile.

That made Abuto's own lips twitch upward as well. He was so happy, he would make a victory yell if his body let him. After everything, he was overjoyed with how things had turned out. He had started just having the desire to confess, but that slowly turned into actually wanting a relationship. Never in a hundred years, he would've thought getting his feelings reciprocated was possible. 

This also meant that his suspicions that Kamui was into Takasugi were wrong. Abuto apologized to Takasugi mentally for holding a bit of a grudge over that. Things were about to change for the better even more now, and he couldn't wait for it. For starters, now he didn't have to pass his days trying to cover his feelings from Kamui. 

Kamui climbed on top of the bed and sat next to him. Promptly went and rested his head on Abuto's lap like it was nothing. Abuto could see his commander and now boyfriend coyly smiling. The idiot knew exactly what he was doing, one of these days it was going to drive Abuto crazy. Then again, he wouldn't change this for anything else.

"You comfortable there?"

"Very much so"

"Oh yeah, when did you fall in love with me? I could swear I was first, but you were good at hiding it" Abuto said.

"I'm not telling, I'll leave it up to you to figure it out" Kamui said teasingly.

Lady luck must have been in Abuto's side today and he was grateful for it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was their first date, naturally Kamui was excited beyond words. They hadn't had time to go anywhere until now, so he would make sure nothing went wrong. He didn't mind much where they went for this occasion as long as they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a bonus chapter where everyone's favorite pair of space pirates goes on their first date. I decided to change the pov for this one, hopefully it came across well. This is the first one that isn't beta read so feel free to point out grammar mistakes and I'll see to fix them. Leave a comment if you enjoyed!

There were prize games and food stalls everywhere that met the eye. They were visiting Earth after a long while of being away. Abuto had suggested they could go to a festival in the land of the samurai. It had been around two weeks that they had started going out. As expected, things hadn't changed much between them. They were only more open with their affection than before, still testing the waters of new boundaries.

This was their first date, needless to say, Kamui was excited beyond words. They hadn't had time to go anywhere until now, so he would make sure nothing went wrong. He didn't mind much where they went for this occasion as long as they were together. Either way, he couldn't wait to try out all sorts of new things with Abuto.

Both of them were wearing yukatas, appropriate to the current setting. Before they came here, they paid a visit to Kagura who was with four eyes and Sakata Gintoki. They told the trio they were planning to go to the summer festival. That made the trio's eyes turn into yen signs. They got offered two different styled yukatas, for five thousand yen each. Kamui was slightly aware that was more than they should cost. He paid them in full, anyway.

Kamui picked the sapphire blue one with water drop decorations everywhere for himself. As they were leaving, Kagura bid him goodbye with an amiable "good luck" and a thumbs up. He opted to act like he didn't know what she referred to with that gesture. 

That cheeky brat, she was more perceptive than she let on. He didn't need something as unreliable as luck, this would go great, no matter what. Still, he couldn't deny being secretly grateful for the encouragement. 

The evening's seeping darkness from the sunset made the lights surrounding the duo look otherworldly. Abuto's yukata was a forest green with leaf patterns twisting all around it. It complemented his dark eyes, Kamui lost his train of thought any time he observed them closely. Today, even more so he felt compelled to keep his sight on them.

The younger Yato got closer to Abuto, their hands brushed together as a result. He did his best to appear unaffected by it, despite feeling his heart beat a lot faster than normal. Abuto looked down at the proximity of their hands for a brief second. He stretched his hand inward and outwards twice, followed up by pointing at something in front of them with his other hand. Kamui's index finger twitched a little trying to inch closer this time.

"Commander, why don't we start by trying that little fishing game? Abuto said looking at the direction where that was.

"Sure, let's test who can catch more fish! That's what the game is about, right?" Kamui jumping from the excitement. 

"Well, not really. Knowing you everything turns into a competition, so we'll do that. Just don't overdo it."

"No promises. Let's go!" 

He would totally do it.

They went to the stall, Abuto paid to get the little fish nets and two bowls filled with water. They kneeled in front of the small pool with all kinds of different fish. Kamui faster than the eye could see, already had an absurd amount of fishes in his fishnet by the moment Abuto submerged his. He looked at Kamui unamused, expecting his actions. The fish were desperately jumping up and down trying to survive. 

The vermillion haired Yato pushed the big pile of fish in his now half broken net towards Abuto. The latter just pushed them back and the process continued for a good minute. To outsiders they probably looked strange passing a big amount of goldfish back and forth. 

"This is getting nowhere, let's split them half each" Abuto said.

"You can have them all."

"What do I need so many fish for?"

"I don't know, to make your room look livelier? It barely has anything in it." 

"Just so you know, I keep it that way by choice. I prefer having the minimum than having so much to the point of not being able to find anything. Like a certain moron I know, so I'm still taking only half" Abuto smirked playfully.

"Fine, but I'm just keeping one and eating the rest" Kamui offered casually. 

Abuto squinted his eyes as if trying to decipher whether Kamui would actually do that. He would, although there was no need to affirm it. Instead, he decided to put two fish in his bowl and return the rest to the little pool. He took Abuto's bowl sliding one of the fish on it, proceeding to return it with a smile. Abuto takes a good look at his fish, it's swimming in circles on the bawl almost crashing in one side of it. Kamui noticed he was smiling with his eyes, it was more breathtaking than usual. 

In an impulse, he grabbed Abuto by the hand so they could exchange their bowls for plastic bags. This was definitely better than the feeling of having won any competition, it was indescribable. It was exhilarating in a way he would never get tired of experiencing.

They ventured to find the next more interesting stall, with their fish on their respective unoccupied hands. Kamui could feel Abuto's grip on his own hand, it was reassuring somehow. So, he showed his array of emotions in the moment, as subtle as he could. He did a fist pump on the air closing his eyes briefly.

Kamui saw a stall he wanted to try out and led Abuto there. There was a fake looking gun on the stand and a bunch of different things in display. 

"What can you do here?" Kamui asked the owner.

"You shoot one of all the things that are behind me and if you manage to make it fall down its yours. Feel free to choose whichever you want, or let your friend here choose" the old man said. He looked like he could barely stand with the cane he was using and adjusted his glasses when he explained the game to Kamui.

Friend was not the word Kamui would've used, but sure that was acceptable too. "Okay. Abuto, which one of those things do you want? I'll get it for you" Kamui pointed his right thumb towards himself. 

"Oh for me? Let's see, let me think" Abuto said studying all the possible prizes one by one. Kamui stared at his boyfriend's profile, checking out his defined jawline and toned pecs peeking through the top part of the yukata. He wished he could reach out and run his hands over them in that instant. He settled for gently squeezing Abuto's hand, in turn his hand was squeezed back. "I want that one" hearing that, Kamui followed the taller man's line of sight.

The prize Abuto chose was a fairly big, white bunny plushie. It had its eyes closed and a Cheshire grin across its face. For some reason it looked odd, well if he wanted that one then Kamui would get it. He took out his umbrella from its holster and started aiming for it when Abuto stopped him. Abuto lowered his umbrella with the unoccupied hand and shook his head slowly.

"Commander, no. You're supposed to use the cork gun for getting the prize. Why would the owner let the prizes get damaged by being actually shot?" Abuto said frantically.

"Well, that's what the geezer implied so I thought that's how it worked" Kamui looked over at the old man who looked confused. Most likely unaware that bullets came out from the umbrella. Kamui put his umbrella back in the holster followed by a shrug of shoulders. He grabbed the cork gun and aimed at the weird looking bunny. Trying to shoot with just one hand was challenging, but he would rather be punched than let go of Abuto's hand. The pop sound it made at the contact signaled he hit it. But it wasn't until the second attempt that he managed to make the thing fall down.

The old man gave the bunny plushie to Kamui who passed it to Abuto. His boyfriend thanked the owner of the stall and both started walking away for the next activity to do. 

"So, why did you choose the bunny with the creepy smile?" Kamui asked.

Abuto was playing with the bunny's ears, a concentrated look on his face. Okay, that was really adorable and he needed to stop it or Kamui was going to lose his mind.

"I guess because it kind of reminds me of you. The smile isn't creepy, is the kind that can cheer people up in any situation. I'll just put it in my room later" Abuto scratched his cheek looking anywhere but his shorter companion. 

Oh, so that was the reason. He wasn't able to stop the overjoyed smile creeping up on his face hearing Abuto's answer. Kamui was left speechless, he wasn't expecting Abuto to be bold like that. Even after all these years of knowing each other, Abuto was still able to surprise him. He didn't usually say what he thought, but when he did it made Kamui feel special. Being the only one who got to see Abuto acting bashfully was something unparalleled.

"Oh, then now that I see it better it's not that weird looking. It'll look good on top of your chest of drawers. You like me that much that you want a memento of me as keepsake?" Kamui simpered.

"Okay, I think I've fed your ego enough for the day" Abuto responded rolling his eyes.

"By the way, did you decide already how to name your goldfish" Kamui questioned.

"I'll call it Nincompoop, it fits." 

"Is that a jab at me?" Kamui said balancing their intertwined hands backwards and forwards. 

"Nah, didn't you see it earlier? It acted like it didn't know where to go or how to swim in such a cramped space. If you see yourself in Nincompoop, that's just you projecting" Abuto added innocently. 

Not having anything to say, Kamui just laughed it off. He sensed Abuto's eyes on him, Kamui turned to him and saw how much affection they carried. A mix of pressure and immense endearment spread across Kamui's body. 

Sometimes, he was troubled by the possibility of not measuring up to what Abuto's image was of him. His days of being a ruthless killer for the sake of hollow power were over, but he regretted not putting an end to them earlier. Abuto had been a helping hand out of a self destructive path, despite Kamui pulverizing him to a pulp back at Rakuyo. Kamui knew he hadn't been in control of himself at the time, yet he felt pangs of guilt in occasions that Abuto was too nice. The other man's presence had always been like putting a big and warm jacket on a freezing agonizing night. 

They were passing by a mask selling stall, in that instant his stomach growled. Abuto scanned nearby places for food.

"Wait here, I'll go buy us something to eat."

"I'll go with you!" 

"No, because you'll want to order everything they're selling. I'll buy enough, so just stay here for five minutes" Abuto said.

"Fine, but I want two of whatever you're gonna order" Kamui reluctantly complied.

"Got it."

To part ways for the moment, Kamui had to let go of Abuto's hand. It would be excruciating, he hoped Abuto would come back as soon as possible. It already felt like his hand was too empty, it wasn't a pleasant feeling. His past self would've thought this was stupid, but he had it bad for Abuto.

Not even five steps away from himself, he saw a blur of white come out from inside Abuto's yukata. He walked onward to pick it up, it was a small sized paper. When he turned it around to read it, his stomach did a flip. There were a bunch of detailed notes written everywhere on it. All ranging to different kinds of fun activities on Earth festivals to first date advices. His attention was drawn to the word 'kiss' being crossed out with 'too early?' in parenthesis next to it. Kamui's eyes were transfixed on the crossed out word for more time than he intended. 

He had no idea Abuto had spent so much time and attention so they could have a good time together today. Abuto was too much sometimes, and Kamui loved him for it.

Having folded the paper in half, Kamui brought it up to his chest. He pressed it firmly for a moment there and let out a sound of pure contentment. Simple discoveries like these made him feel so fortunate that he had chosen Abuto to be his better half. Just having Abuto by his side was enough for Kamui to make him want to try to be a better person. Be someone who is truly worthy of Abuto's love and devotion. 

Kamui gracefully dropped the paper on the floor where he picked it up, seeing that Abuto was given their food. The taller Yato was carrying a variety of snacks walking back to where he left Kamui. 

"You dropped something just now, Abuto" 

"What? Where?"

"Right by your feet" Kamui said.

Abuto finally noticed the folded piece of paper in the ground. He gives Kamui his share of the snacks, which is twice as much as Abuto's. Once Abuto recognizes the paper, he gets fidgety and returns it back inside his yukata. He makes the motion of cleaning his hands on the outside of his yukata while holding his mochi candy and dango in his mouth. 

He stretched his left hand out to Kamui, the latter took it with no hesitation. This time, he intertwined their hands with a fervent need. It made Kamui feel whole again, he wished Abuto would never have to ever leave his side. He tried to distract himself by chewing on his own dango.

"Let's go upwards to the near hills, that way we can see the upcoming fireworks better" Abuto said with a small smile.

"Good thinking, we should hurry up" Kamui replied with a splitting grin. He couldn't be happier at the moment. His favorite person in the universe right now wanted to be with him as much as Kamui did.

They arrived at the highest point of the hill, every stall could be seen from there. Both men sat down in the grass, the muted effect of the lights below made everything feel far away. It helped to build the notion that the two of them were the only ones in the world. It was almost like a dream that was too good to be true. As if Kamui would wake up from it at any moment, he was resolved to make the most out of this.

Suddenly, a loud sound occurred and a number of colors decorated the blackened sky. The showing of fireworks had started, it was impressive to witness. Kamui felt Abuto's thumb rubbing circles against the back of his hand, it was significantly soothing. He decided to rest his head on Abuto's shoulder, still paying attention to the fireworks. Abuto adjusted slightly so that Kamui was even more cozy. It was small gestures like these that ignited Kamui's affection, knowing Abuto accepted him for who he was. 

The fireworks halted to a stop, that gave way for the previous darkness to drop like curtains. 

"Why do you think watching fireworks is something nice to look at?" Kamui sincerely asked. 

"Because people like flashy things? The contrast of brightness within the dark? How the loud sounds combine with the colors? There's a lot of reasons" Abuto mused. 

"Maybe it's all of them together, or maybe they can look like a bunch of shooting stars happening at once?" 

"We'll never know, everyone has different reasons. What matters is why you think is great to take a second and admire them"

"I guess that's true" Kamui closed his eyes.

A comfortable silence fell over them momentarily. The younger Yato generally wasn't one to enjoy these quiet instances, until recently. More and more, he started to desire for calmness. The thrill of rushing into battle, proving his strength was still fun and important. But, these days spending a fraction of the day doing anything with Abuto was unrivaled. 

"Commander, you asleep?" his boyfriend's gruff voice interrupted him from his thoughts.

An idea popped up on Kamui's mind, it was daring. Then again, who would he be if he didn't dare to do this today? The mighty space pirate Kamui didn't shy away from a seemingly hard task.

"I'm awake, for now. Hey, can you do something for me?" 

"Sure, what is it?"

"My name, call me by my name. Even if you go back to the usual when we're back with the rest of the division. I want to hear you call me by my name when it's just the two of us" Kamui's heart was beating loudly on his chest. 

Several seconds passed, Kamui figured Abuto was mulling the request over. He couldn't take the uncertainty, it was making him nervous. He lifted his head from Abuto's shoulder to look straight into the other man's eyes. They were full of resolve with a trace of longing. 

"Kamui" Abuto's ears had reddened, but it could've been the night playing tricks on him. 

There was a happiness in those black eyes that Kamui loved so much. He wondered if Abuto had wanted to say it as much as Kamui had wanted to hear it. It sounded just right coming from his voice, after so many years. 

"Thank you, Abuto" Kamui beamed of satisfaction.

Slowly, Kamui raised his hands to caress Abuto's face. Abuto moved forward so that their foreheads were touching. Kamui glanced at Abuto's lips, they were so close. Determined to get closer, he tentatively closed his eyes. Their lips touched fleetingly, merely feeling out how much the other wanted this to happen. In that brief moment of contact, Kamui could feel Abuto's smile forming. When they separated, they were still close enough that Kamui could feel Abuto's breath on his face. This was everything he had wanted and more.

"That was..amazing" Abuto said looking the happiest Kamui had seen him in a while.

"Yeah, definitely" Kamui said breathlessly even though the kiss hadn't lasted long.

An arm went around Kamui's waist, he leaned into Abuto's gentle touch. Naturally, he resumed resting his head on the shoulder next to him. The levels of happiness he was feeling were so high, he almost couldn't believe this was happening. Because it was Abuto, this was fine. More than fine, they fit so unquestionably well together. One being the brakes and the other the accelerator, they combined in the best of ways.

If given the choice be alone at the top, he would always choose to love Abuto. It was always meant to be Abuto. It was as simple as that.

It was enough knowing he could make Abuto happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of fun writing this, so I hope at least a few people will enjoy this story. I really like 5+1 type fic so I decided to do one with my favorite Gintama pairing.  
Konokure (このくれ): shade under a tree in full leaf  
Ichizenmeshiya (いちぜんめしや): simple and expensive restaurant  
kanabou (かなぼう): an iron club


End file.
